Following Intellect’s successful 4G Mobile Broadband conference, I would like to thank our speakers and panellists for their enlightening and provoking presentations and insights during the panel discussions.

Our day was kicked off by John Higgins who introduced John Woodget of Intel, followed by H Nwana of Ofcom and Frank Mather of the European Commission.

John Woodget spoke about the service provider sector - particularly the need for the industry to regain leadership. Intel believes this can be facilitated by a number of measures including; swift release of spectrum, development of longer term strategies, regaining international influence and the promotion of UK industry. (more…)

Technorati Tags: 4G, Adam Pollard, Analysis Mason, Android, Andy Nuttal, Apple, Blue Nowhere, DCMS, Dr Matt Yardley, Ed Vaizey, EU, European Commission, Everything Everywhere, Google, H Nwana, ICT KTN, Intel, intellect, iPhone, John Woodget, Kip Meek, LTE, mobile broadband, mobile network operators, Ofcom, Peter Curnow-Ford, Philip Hargrave, Skype, Stephen Lerner, Three, Vodafone, Wimax

This weekend sees the opening of a global gathering of ICT executives, government officials and policy makers, who are meeting to share ideas on how ICT can drive economic growth, create jobs, overcome social exclusion and improve quality of life. (more…)

Intellect members may be aware of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme or “RSPP”, currently being batted between the EU parliament and Council like a policy tennis ball. The RSPP is an attempt by the EU to reflect on political priorities and how these priorities translate into strategic policy objectives for radio spectrum use. The RSPP’s impact on European telecommunications regulation will be similar to the Communications Act in Great Britain. Europe will be gripped by what is effectively legislation, which has implications from licensing to spectral efficiency, spectrum release to regulation and associated policy. (more…)

Technorati Tags: DCMS, EU, EU Council Presidency, European Commission, European council, European Parliament, Ofcom, Public Sectors, Regulation, Regulatory policy, RSPP, Spectrum, spectrum inventory

Conference season is upon folks and it’s one down, two to go. Whitehall Watch is a third less happy than it was this time last week.

As ever, the Liberal Democrats have kicked off proceedings but, for the second year running, it’s with the novelty of actually being in government – cue unusually high interest in what’s traditionally a rather low key affair of mass introspection and headline grabbing proposals. Mansion tax anyone? (more…)

Technorati Tags: energy, Healthcare, NHS

Before we put together a collective response from the ICT sector on the proposed simplifications to the CRC, I thought I would reflect a little on the scheme as a whole. So I am going to stand back for a moment from the battles raging over pointless complexity and cretinous league tables. Once you do that, it becomes evident that what we are looking at is just so much wreckage; and this is wreckage without even a salvage value because everything vaguely useful has been jettisoned. (more…)

Technorati Tags: CRC Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme, environment, Tom Burke

The phone hacking inquiry notwithstanding, it is almost time for a notable demographic within Westminster Village, our MPs, to return to their constituencies to tend to more pressing local matters for the summer. Indeed both houses of parliament will call a temporary halt to their legislative duties until returning in earnest at the beginning of September, a good month before the usual return, post Conservative Party conference.

However, policy development waits for no man/democratically elected representative and the wheels of deliberation will continue to turn over the ‘sleepy’ month of August. In fact, August is a time when those with a view on policy can make hay, and Intellect intends to do so by continuing to work across a number of areas.

(more…)

Recently I’ve been at the EU’s first Digital Agenda Assembly held in the Brussels’ Autoworld, surrounded by a superlative collection of cars and planes from the past century. Issues discussed included fixed/mobile superfast broadband, green IT, creative content, smart grids, cyber and many other ICT related themes. Rather than discussing about specific policies, I’d like to share some general thoughts on Europe’s ambitions and Britain’s role in technology-driven innovation.

Continental Europeans still chuckle when I say “the UK and Europe” but I’m serious. As a Southern European who has spent enough time in this country, I’ve changed from being a EU enthusiast to being pragmatically critical about this noble but thorny project. Neither cynicism nor tribalism would help here. Political realism should be the answer: too many “Europeans” still don’t grasp how hard is to keep a Union together but – fortunately or unfortunately – the UK knows better… (more…)

Technorati Tags: Digital Agenda, EU, ICT, single market

The Source London brand will be as famous as Oyster in a couple of years and London will the Electric Vehicle capital of the world. With over 10 million daily car journeys in London it makes a perfect place to take the lead. That is what delegates at Intellect’s Transport and Smart Grid Conference were told this morning by Kulveer Ranger, the environment and digital advisor to Mayor of London. With eight other regional pilots trialing electric vehicles networks around the country, the UK is leading in the world on rolling out networks for various low carbon vehicles said Michael Hurwitz, the government’s Director for Low Emission Vehicles.

(more…)

Dear Jim,

Please can you fix it for me to have a growth strategy that recognises the importance of the role of technology in the UK’s economic growth? Whilst the chancellor of the exchequer has announced some supportive and welcome measures in his budget on Wednesday, I can’t help but feel it’s missed a bit of a trick here.

I’ve taken some time to think about it and now the dust has settled on what was, to be fair, a budget that was always going to be constrained in what it could deliver. However it is hard to see how emphasis can be put on ‘putting fuel into the tank of the British economy’ without attaching equal importance to the actual ‘engine’. As you well know Jim, this particular engine is the technology industry and the role it plays in underpinning every aspect of our economy, from advanced manufacturing to life sciences, creative industries to business services is all-encompassing.

(more…)

Last December, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and Business Minister Mark Prisk outlined government policy to make 2011 the year of the electric car for the UK. Car manufacturers are lining up new electric cars. Energy providers are looking at the need for a smart grid to accommodate an EV infrastructure network. Many of the UK’s cities have a number of electric vehicle trials underway. But an EV network needs investment, well informed policy, and the coordination of a number of different industries.

On May 5, we are hosting the Intellect Electric Vehicle conference, bringing together government and local government policy makers, analysts, the energy industry, the automotive industry, and the ICT industry to look at the various challenges and opportunities of rolling out a EV network across the UK. The ICT industry has a key role to play across the value chain: from the car itself to the charging points, and all the critical infrastructure in between.
(more…)

Technorati Tags: Electric Vehicle Conference, ICT and EV Network, Intellect Transport and Smart Grid